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February 2008

It's rare that I will call out a comment for special recognition, but as I sit here at Rue De La Course, my heart is filled with benevolence for each and every one of you out in Codland, and it's just too good to miss. In response to the original Paula Deen Rodeo, one of her retainers weighed in:

There's so much to love here , but my favorite is the lack of correlation between shilling for a demonstrablyloathsomecorporation, and Paula's own human decency. Similarly, I guess, it would be a mistake to judge Adnan Kashoggi on the basis of that arms dealing thing. As a theological question for the weekend, what exploitative meatpacking concern would Jesus shill for?

No, your city's a sucker. Otherwise, still struggling to come to terms with the idea of Alice Waters in South Beach. I imagine her on the ocean side of Collins Avenue, holding forth in some sort of structure woven from palm fronds, introducing the stocky, beponchoed Bolivian farmers who are spearheading an organic and sustainable coca leaf plantation.

I made pretzels. They turned out pretty well, in spite of not being very photogenic. I used the killjoy's receipt,* and can't offer much in the way of amendment, other than that bread flour is a completely different creature than all-purpose flour. Bread flour has more glutent, and will hit you back. Also, at least in the Fleischman's line, the "instant" yeast speced in many receipts is now sold as bread machine yeast. Baking is real fussy.

*The Cook's website is a fucking disaster. Searching both the americastestkitchen and cooksillustrated domains revealed no evidence of a receipt they published in one of their own damn books. Considering that Kimball's MO is to recycle the same receipts in as many formats as possible, the the un-robust searching capability may be deliberate for all I know.

One of the most reassuring post-Katrina moments the cinetrix and I had was in August of 2006 -- we were on the New Jersey Turnpike, and in front of us was a late-model SUV, loaded to gills, with Jersey plates and a Tulane sticker. Make no mistake -- there are dozens of constituencies who felt Katrina's wrath more than kids from New Jersey from families who can afford both private tuition and payments on a 4Runner -- but as an indication of the viability of Tulane and the future of New Orleans, it was one of the more profound experiences I've had on that stretch of road.And more good news -- this same day job is bringing me to New Orleans, which means that I will be filing a full report on the Cohon de Lait po' boy, featured here.Lest we forget, the news is not all good.

As good a time as any to apologize for the lack of the Oscar tips Gurgling Cod readers came to expect in 2006 and 2007.As usual, the cinetrix is out in front on this one.**Leprechauns will not prevent diabetes.

Here's a female Filipino Ronald McDonald boosted from the delightful Shufflindance. Hard to know where to begin -- the Bozo meets Benatar wig? The impassive expression reminiscient of an inflatable doll? The high heeled boots w/ yellow laces? The vaguely clingy costume? Hard to say, but good to see this attention to cardiac health.

Notable differences -- a much higher ante on one hand, and the idea that this largess should be rewarded on the other. Sadly, unlike shaking a tin cup on the internet, it seems as if this far more legit (though not unassailable) gambit will fall short.